Cornet.



S. ADKINS.

CORNET.

APPLIGATION FILED oo'r.14, 1907.

91 1,637. Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

rhs Narems PETER: co., wA

S. ADKINS.

CORNET.

APPLIOATION rumoer, 1907.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wezzon .By has Attorneys www 1u: Nmzms Psrzxs co., mb-mueran, n. c.

UNITED STATES ATEN'I SPENCER ADKINS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO RICK ADKINS AND ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM E. ADKINS, JR., OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CORNET.

Specification. o Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1969.

Application led October 14, 1907. Serial No. 397,316.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER ADiriNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at v Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cornets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its particular object to provide an'improved cornet, but more generally has for its object to improve the construction and tone producing qualities of wind instruments generally designated as keyed brass horns.

To the above ends the invention consists oit' the novel devices and combinations ot devices and construction and arrangement oi" parts hereinafter described and deined in the claims.

For the sake ot convenience, the instrument will hereinafter be designated, both in the specification and in the claims, as a cornet, but it should be understood that the invention is not, in any wise, limited to this particular type of keyed brass or metal horns.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, with some parts broken away, showing a cornet designed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on the line .r2 rc2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a Jfragmentary view of the valve cylinders, looking at the same in a reverse direction from that in which they are shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, with some parts broken away, showing the three valve cylinders and three cooperating piston valves, the said valves being in their normal or uppermost positions. Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the third or right hand valve cylinder and valve, with the said valve in its depressed or lowermost position. Fig. 6 is a vertical section, taken on the line aG m6 of Fig. 4. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views in horizontal section, taken on the line 007 m8 ot Fig. 4, the former showing the valve in its normal position and the latter showing the valve in its depressed position. F ig. 9 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line m9 009 ot Fig. 4; and Fig. 1() is a detail in horizontal section, taken on the line w10 501 of F ig. 5.

As usual, the tubular body 1 of the cornet is provided, at one end, with a detachable mouth-piece 2, and at its other end terminates in a bell 3, and three valve-cylinders 4, 5 and 6, hereinafter designated, respectively, as the first, second and third valve cylinders, are connected in said tubular body and are combined with relatively long and relatively short crooks arranged in a novel manner presently described.

The body tube 1 is provided, preferably, with the usual-tuning slide 7 and the usual A-slide 8, the latter ot which connects to the first valve cylinder 4 in line with short tube sections 9 and 10 that connect the three valve cylinders. The first valve cylinder 4 is provided with relatively long and short crooks 11 and 12, the upper legs of which open into said cylinder 4 in horizontal line with short tube sections 13 and 14 that connect the three cylinders 4, 5 and 6 below the tube sections 9 and 10, and the lower legs of said two crooks 11 and 12 open into said cylinder 4 in horizontal line with short tube sections 15 and 16 that connect the three cylinders below the tube sections 13 and 14. These crooks 11 and 12 are preferably provided with the usual slides or detachable portions. lThe second valve cylinder 5 is provided with relatively long and short crooks 17 and 1S, preferably having the usual slides or detachable sections. The short crook 18, at its upper end, opens into the cylinder 5 in horizontal line with the upper tube section 9, while the lower end thereot1 opens into said cylinder in horizontal line with the tube section 13. The long crook 1T which is connected to the cylinder 5 is directly attached to the third cylinder 6, and through said latter cylinder and the tube sections 10 and 14 is connected to said second cylinder. The third cylinder 6 is provided with a relatively long crook 19 and a relatively short crook 20, which crooks are also preferably formed with the usual slides or detachable sections. The upper legs or" these crooks 19 and 2O open into the third valve cylinder 6 in horizontal line with the tube sections 15 and 16,

plane of the said relatively long tubes 11,'

17 and 19. The angularity between the relativelylong and short tubes is only sul'iicient to permit both to tap the corresponding valve cylinder in the same horizontal plane. lt does not produce an abrupt turn inthe course which the air takes in passing through the short tube.

lWorking within each valve cylinoer is a piston valve 23, toe stem of which works upward through a cap 24 on the Lipper end of said cylinder and is provided with the usual finger-piece 25. Each valve is also normally held upward by a. light coiled spring 26 that reacts against a collar 27 on the valve stem and a washer 28 that is anchored within the Avalve cylinder. Each of these valves is provided with siX diametrically extended ports 29 and with two slightly crooked ports 30.

rl`he normal position of the three valves is illustrated in Fig. 4. rhe open tones are produced, of course, with said valves in their normal positions, and at such time the air passes through the three short crooks 12, 18 and 2O and the valve ports 30, and does not pass through either of the relatively long crooks 11, 17 and 19. lf all three of the said valves are depressed or moved into lowered positions, as shown in Fig. 5, the course of the air is through all three of the relatively long crooks 11, 17 and 19 and does not pass through any one of the three relatively7 short crooks 12, 18 and 20. Otherwise stated, w ien any one of the three valves is depressed, the air is directed through the corresponding relatively long crook, so that the usual lingering of the valves is employed in playing the instrument.

The siX diametrically extended'ports 29 of the first valve, or the valve in the cylinder 4, are so disposed that in the normal position of the said valve one of the said ports will afford communication through the tubular portions 8 and 9, and one thereof will afford communication between the tubular section 22 and the outer end portion of the body tube 1 (see Fig. 4) and when the said valve is depressed another of said ports 29 will afford communication between said tubular section 8 and 9, and still another of said ports 29 will afford communication between said tubular sections 22 and 1. rl`he valve in the second cylinder 5 has its diametrical ports 29 so arranged that when said valve is depressed its upper port 29 will a'ord communication between the tubular sections 9 and 10, and another of its ports 29 will afford communication betweenV the tube sections 13 and le, and the four lower members Y ofrsaid ports 29 are so arranged that in both positions of said second valve they will aord communication between the tube sections 15 andY 1G and 21 and 22. The four uppermost diametrical ports 29 in the third valve are so arranged that in either position of said valves there will be unobstructed communication between the tube sections 10 and 1li and the upper and lower legs, respec-A tively, of the relatively long so called second valve crook 17. rlhe two lowermost diametrioal ports 29 of said third valve are so arranged that when said valve is depressed they will open' Yup communication between the long crook 19 of thethird valve and the short tube sections 16 and 21. K

lt has now been seen that each valve cylinder is provided with a relatively long and a relatively short crook and that theseV are eX- tended at the least possible angle to each other. This minimizes and evenly distributes the irregularity in the course of the air through the instrument. In cornets, as hitherto constructed, some notes may beproduced through a pipe or tube that is not objectionably irregular, while other tones must be produced through a tube or pipe that is exceedingly tortuous and has eX- tremely abrupt turns that interfere materially with the free passage of air and darnage the tone qualities of the instrument.

In the improved cornet herein described, no tone is produced through a tube or pipe that has an abrupt crook or olfset, such as will interfere with the tone qualities of the instrument. The tone qualities of the instrument are greatly improved Yby the fact that when the valves are depressed or moved from their normal positions the relatively long crooks are opened by the alined, diametrically extended ports of said valves, so that the passages that connect the legs of these long crooks are straight. 1t is also important to note that when all of the keys are depressed or down, the air passes through but five crooks, including the tuning slide and the so-called A slide, whereas in the ordinary cornet when the keys are depressed the air passes through about fifteen crooks.

As is evident, the principle of construction l above describedand set forth in the claims may be used in horns or brass instruments of various design and size and is not limited to what is usually designated as a cornet.

lhat I claim is:

1. A valved cornet having three valvecylinders and piston valves workingrtherein, said cylinders each having a relatively long Vand a relatively short crook, the said long` crooks being connected diametrically throughthe said three cylinders, and the said three piston valves having dianietrically extended ports which, when depressed, open the said diainetrically extended relatively long crooks, whereby when all three valves are degressed the passage through the long crooks passes four tinies straight through the said three cylinders, substantially as described.

2. A valved cornet having three cylinders, the intermediate cylinder having a long and a short crook, which long crool; is extended diainetrically through one of the outer valve cylinders, the said valve of said latter cylinder having diainetiically extended ports which in both positions of said valve leave the long crook open With straight 'passages through said valve, substantially as described.

3. A valved cornet having three valve cylinders and piston valves Working therein, said cylinders each having a relatively long H. D. KILGORE, MAME HoEL. 

